The invention relates to a device for the preparation of plastics material for recycling purposes, in particular thermoplastic plastics material, comprising a container which has an inlet opening at the top for the material to be processed, wherein at least one movable mixing and/or comminuting tool is arranged in the container and preferably rotates about the vertical container axis, and the material treated by this tool is fed through an outlet opening which is arranged at the bottom of the container and to which the feed opening of a housing of an apparatus, preferably a plasticizer or agglomerator, is fluidly connected, the apparatus comprising a screw.
Devices of this type are known, e.g. EP 1 173 315 or WO-A-01/39948, wherein the plasticizer or agglomerator usually has an extruder screw which feeds the material conveyed by it directly to the following processing stage, usually a granulator. However, the screw can also be a simple conveyor screw which feeds the material to a following processing step, e.g. further processing by means of rotating tools. Only after this processing step is the material fed to a plasticizer or agglomerator. Essentially, the known devices operate satisfactorily, but frequently have difficulties when charging the apparatus connected to the outlet opening, in particular when this apparatus is a plasticizer or agglomerator. The infeed to the screw should be as uniform as possible and the delivery from this apparatus should also be as uniform as possible, which is of particular importance when a molding plant is connected to an extruder. In the case of a molding plant, it is important that the material to be molded is supplied as uniformly as possible. The aforementioned difficulties are caused, among other things, by the fact that the material to be processed usually varies greatly, both with respect to the chemical composition of the material and with respect to its external constitution (degree of soiling, particle size, particle shape, etc.).